Apparatus for carbonizing coal for the production of gas.



No. 873,647. 4 PATENT-ED DBG.10, 106?.

w. mum & s. GLOVER.

APPARATUS FOR GARBONIZING GOAL FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GAS.

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8 SHEZTl-IISST 1- "No. 873,647- PATBNTBD DEC; 10, 1907 w. YOUNG & s.GLOVBR. APPARATUS ron cunomzme 00.4.1. FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GAS.

AYPLIOATIOI FILED HA3. 6. 1907.

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No. 873,647- PATBNTED DEC. 10, 1907- W. YOUNG 6: S. GLOVBR. APPARATUSFOR GARBONIZING COAL FOR. THE PRODUCTION 01 GAS.

APPLICATION FILED HA1. 8. 1907.

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UNITED STATES PatrEN OFFICE.

WILLlA'Li' YOUNG, OF Pl-IEBLES, SCOTLAND, AND BAM UEL GLOVER, OF ST.HELENE, ENGLAND APPAI LATUB FOB CABBONIZING COAL FOB PRODUCTION OP GAQ.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

Original application filed liov oxhlior 13,1906- Serlal No. 343.268.Divided and thll application lied Inch 6. 1907- 8014.] In. 860-890- smctively, have invented certain-now and 4 useful 1m rovemcnts inApparatus for Car:- bonizmg oals for the Prm notion of illumil0 natingand Heating fiascs, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to the destructive distillation, or thecarbomzatlon of coal for the production of illuminating and heating 16gases and more particularly consists in an improved construction ofcarbonizing apparatus whereby the heat is more effectively andeconomically applied and better rcsdlts .obtaincd.

The invention is based upon the principle that when coals are carbonizedthe conditions should bc-such that the volatile matters will beeliminated from the coals without having to pass through and come intocontact with 25 big ily heated surl'ruzes, and that the volatile mattersafter being eliminated will be decomposed or gasificd by the action ofradiant mat of a suitable temperature Contact with the highly heatedsurfaces should be $0 avoided as far as possible as such contact isdestructive imliscriminatcly, injuriously cracking up the hydrocarbonvapors evolved from the coal, the carbon of thc constitution of wlnch islargely deposited upon the heated 3'5 surfaces, whilc naphthaleneandother objm:tionablc com )onndsarc produced, and the resulting gases havein conscx'ucnce a lower illuminating wwcr, on the ot icrhand radiantheat is so c'ctivc in its action, decompos- 40 ing the more complexvapors most actively,

and in such amanncr as to produce gas of a high quality By thedecomposition or cracking up of the va ions from the coal by radiantheat it 46 results that the carbon which is necessarily set free duringthc gasil'ying. process will be in a very lhicculcnt condition. With thecarhonizing apparatus hitherto employed such carbon is carried forwardin tho cnrrcntof 60 gas, and is deposited in the stand pip'cs, by-

draulic or other collecting mains, giving much trouble. rangcmontshitherto. employed for the carbonizing ol'cmtl the temperatures to which55 the retorts are brought to cll'cct-tho elimination of thevolatilcmatters from thccoahand Further in rctorting ar-' to effect thesubsequent cracking up or gaaii'ying of the volatile mattcra being thesame. i .l t has been found necessary in practice to adjust the weightof the charge of coal in the retorts, in relation to the size of thevacant space over the charge so that sutlicient volatile matter ma heleft ungasified, and suiticient condcnsiile tar may be reduced to washdown and prevent trouhfi from that iloccnlent sooty deposit in the standpipee &c.

The improved carbonizing apparatus is so arranged that differentsections of the torts \vill .be heated to dill'ercnt tempera: tures insuch a manner that the volatile matters are as rapidly as possibledcstructively distilled out of the con progressively and so that theyare evolved from the cgplwithout being exposed to over highly heatedsurfaces in one section of the retort, the volatile matters so evolvedbeing subjected in another" section of the retort at a lowertemperaturei. 1:. about 2,100 l*., to the action 0 radiant heat suitableto decom use them into permanent gas of good qua ity, while theflocculent carbon and sooty tar set free by the action of the radiantheat are filtered out and separated from the resulting gaseous mattersby causing than their way to the collecting mainto I through the freshcharge of coal contained in the hopper before it is charged into theretort. l he hot gaseous products are not only liltercd tree fromllocculcnt carbon and the grosser suspended tar, but there is alsoat thesame time an advantageous exchange 'of' heat, the gases being cooledwithout condensingplant and the coal being heated and so pmparcd toundergo the carbonizing process;

)(SHlLS this the tarry matters previously dethe reght ly addingto thethegas and' improving the reposited 'upon the coal, on enterin torts,arc "asilicd thus sli volume 0 sidual coke.

Each retort is provided with a supply hopper from which the coal is fedinto there-1 tort, and a discha'rging chamber from which the cokeresulting from the carbonizing of the coal is discharged. The coal maybe continuously fed mto'thc retort, and the coke continuouslydischarged, or the coal may be passed into the retortmintcrmittentchargcs and the resulting coke similarly discharged, thecharging hop wrs and discharging chambers being provni to carryouteither method as desire andLas on leaving the retorta on pace ed withsuitable up liances found best suited for the carbonization of highestat'the base of the charge, so that the atile matters will be eliminatedfrom the .coal as rapidl as possible and passinwards away from t ehighly heated walls of the retorts and upwards through amen the coolerinterstices in the center of the c arge of coals, to emerge finally fromthe uppersurface mto the higher section of the retorts,

brick lming which is purposely heated by the producer gases to a lowertem rature. The gaseous products thus gasifie pass awa by suitableoutlet from the retort mto the 0 pers containing the fresh charge of coathrough which'they; pass, being filteredfree from sootyjtarrymatters,and an exchange of heat effected.

.The improved apgraratus isexemplified in u the accompanyin wings inwhich Figures 1 2 am 3 show in vertical section the upper, the middleand the lower parts respectlvely of a set of vert cal retorts andaccessories for use in carbonizing coals, the retorts'being representedas divided into three parts for convenience of maintaining a suitablescale of drawing.

As therein represented the retorts are built up of fire brick or formedwith a fire A A around which are formed heatin flues B B heated by thecombustion of pro( ucer'gas upon admixture with air.

The brick -work is carried by hollow girders 0 supported by icrs ofbrick-wor The coals to be carnized are delivered by means of conveyers Einto large open hoppers F of which one isrprovided for a number ofretorts, the hoppers bein suBported by upward extensions v of the gilars which the coals are delivered into ayAt its lower end each hbpttedwith gas ti ht valves F through number per is of measuring hoppersGofwhich one is provided for each pair ofretorts, and from t ese hoppersGthe coals aredropped on o ning a bell valve G. (operated by afl'everandle G) into a (i 'ng chamber H in which they are sub'ecteil to theheat' of the gas generated be ow and which in passing up throu h thechamber deposits tarry coals: At the bottom of the chamber H the coalsare'discharged in regulated streamsby means of devices such as the armsH carried on shafts H and arranged to sweep the coals oil' the surfacesof tab cs II. Tlus device is well known in apparatus for retortin shaleand need not be articularly 'pscribec From the tables H t is coals dropinto the illars D and occasional matter on t eavsmn ietorts A which arefilled to about (our fifths of their height, a free space being leftabove wherein the gas generated is subjected to re.- diant heatof'suitabletemperature in its pass e upwards to the drying chamber H.

be coke or carbonized coal after parting with its gaseous constituent-sdescends to the bottom of the retorts and is continuously orintermittently withdrawn by means of combined right and left hand screws1 carried on a rotating shaft I, the devices being of a ty )0 commonlyused in shale retorts, the coke into a discharging hopper J fitted witha bell valve J which 18 eriodically opened by means of a hand w eelshaft J connected through worm gearing J with a. shaft J provided with achain pulley J and chain J attached to the valve.. The coke sodischarged falls into a wagon K running on rails below. For the purposeof slacking the coke and keepmg cool the screws which draw it from theretorts and other parts of the ap aratus water is delivered from a watermaing through piping 0 into the hollow girders C and is discharged throu'h a number of orifices c in proximity to the screws 1. The steam thusormed asses up through and'among the hot coke and charge of coal in theretorts to assist The carbonizationof the coals within the retorts A iseffected by; the combustion of producer as and air, the gas beinsupplied throng a main L furnished wit suitable valves L and being led ba conduit to a flue L in the lower art of t e brickwork of the retorts,while he air which is heated by traversing a regenerator flue isadmitted through a flue M to a flue M just over the as flue L, each ofthese flues being provi ed with a movable damper or other closure 6 forregulatin the admission.

The mixe gas and air are directed into and through the has flues B Bwhich are fitted with suitable ba es so that the buming "as is caused totravel entirely around the lower part of the retorts, thence around onesection after another at higher levels.

The various parts of the rotorlsare subjected to difi'erenttemperaturesand to insure regulation of the temp e-store the secondary airtocomplete the enbustion of the heating gas is admitted by l! ucs M=provided with suitable dam era 6 at various levels. A The heat-transmited into the space above the coals in the retorts is less intense thanthat at the lower levels where carboniz'ation is effected and isregulatedto insure fractional cracking up of the gas evolved as alreadydescribed.

The waste gases resulting from the combustion of the producer gas in theheating fi ues pass into an outlet flue O 'and down through thebrickwork to a main discharge flue O under the ground level.

in the production of water gas'and ammonia.

dropping over the ends of inclined plates I by'oarboniaationofheatfromthewalleoftheretorgilueeled up through the fresh coal in aroundthe retort, meana for admitting prothedryingchamberll wlwo andfloocuduoer gen, and a r mto and linen for heating lent matterear'e de)oeitedon to ooaLamf the retort externally, means for admitting 1 Itheneethegaeia byabridgepipeltothe 'eecondary airatvanouslevelaeoaat'oregu- 80 usual hydraulic main P. late the temperature of theretorta, the tem Steamorwatergaaorbothmaybedireoted perature beingreduced towards the upper through the retortafrom a plain Q having artoflthe retort, anoverhead hopper va sipe connections Q to the dleohargehopper t exchanging chamber interpoeed he- 10 up through the cokeinwhich the eteamor tween said hopper and said retort and open 85 water asor bothflow on their way; to and up to the of .from said retort, meanathrong the retorte. for admitting coefzom the hopper into eaid When itis desired toenrich the gas, liquid chamber, means for diatrlbutmg theooala hydrocarbon may he directed into the .nefrom Illd chamber into theretort, and 15 torteA through suitable inlete aem thedrymeans for'withdrawing the gas from the 40 chamber at 'R. chamber.

aving nowdescribed our invention what testimony. whereof we have ignedour we claim and to secure by Lettere 'namee to this apecification inthe preeenee'of Patent of the Umted States is:- 1 two enhecribingwitneeeea.

; 20 d The iliilereirideeoribeddai'pparatus for prom YOUNG uc mmna an eagases,- cono E of 'areto rt gomprieing Hower cham- SAMUEL B' 3 her 111which the material is supgorted and Witnesses:

; carbonized, and an upper 52 r wherein WALLAOI Fauna-ran,

% 25 the evolved gaeee are ,mbpcted to radiant Jomr Anemone, Junr.

